HistoryThe Egyptians have evidence that proves that they may be the earliest civilization that discovered a standard unit for length. The Egyptian cubit was developed about 3000 BC, the unit was based on the length of the arm (from the elbow to the extended finger).

The Greeks used the width of 16 fingers to find one foot. The Romans adopted the foot from the Greeks and divided it into 12 sections which was called unicae, which came to be known as an inch.

The yard was adopted by King Henry I in the 12th century. Many years ago, the US accepted this standard of measurement from London into our customary system.

Reading
a RulerWhen reading a ruler, you want to
find out how far the item is from zero. When reading a ruler, you must locate
the zero marking, this may vary depending on the ruler. On some rulers, the
zeros start at the end, but on others it starts about 1/4 of an inch from the
end. If you do not check your ruler beforehand you will not be getting an
accurate measurement.

Customary Linear Measurements: When measuring length in the customary system the common units used are inches, feet, yards, and miles. Units of length measure height, width, length, depth, and distance. People use "feet" to measure their height. Construction worker and architects use feet to measure walls, floors, and ceilings. It is also used to determine one point to another.Facts:1. The end of your thumb to your first joint is about 1 inch long.2. An egg carton is about a foot long.3. A standard doorway is about a yard in width. A man six-feet tall is 2 yards high.4. Distances between cities are measured in miles.5. From smallest to greatest customary length measurements are compared as:InchesFeetYardsMiles

Metric Linear Measurements: In the majority of countries around the world, people use the metric system of measurement. The metric system is based on 10s. For example, 10 decimeters make a meter (39.37 inches). Units smaller than a meter have Latin prefixes:

Deci- means 10; 10 decimeters make a meter.

Centi- means 100; 100 centimeters make a meter.

Milli- means 1,000; 1,000 millimeters make a meter.

Units larger than a meter have Greek prefixes:

Deka- means 10; a dekameter is 10 meters.

Hecto- means 100; a hectometer is 100 meters.

Kilo- means 1,000; a kilometer is 1,000 meters.

Easy 2 step method to conversions!

If 36 inches equal 1 yard, 3 yards equal how many inches?Step 1. Set up proportion: in this case, using yards over inches, Remember:Place the same units across from each other—for example, inches across from inches. Then solve.

Remember:Place the same units across from each other—for example, inches across from inches. Then solve.Step 2. Cross multiply.x = 108 in